Tom discusses with his wife, "Lawd, but Ah sho hate t start all over wid tha white man. Ah'd leave here ef Ah could. Ah owes him nigh eight hundred dollahs. N we needs hoss, grub, seed, n a lot mo things. Ef we keeps on like this tha white man'll own us body n soul. "(106). Wright is simply trying to get the reader to understand the desperation and desire of freedom that all African American citizens in the United States were experiencing after they were made free. These people were made free in the eyes of the government, yet still faced certain tasks in the community such as segregation, that forced them to have an unimaginable feeling of sorrow. This story is telling the true story of thousands of African American citizens through the fictional story of an African American man and his family. Wright is attempting to show the white populations that while in their eyes, black people in America were free, African Americans were simply living in fear of losing what little freedom they had on a day to day basis. Tom, Molly, and Sally are all in fear of losing their freedom due to the flood that has impacted their area. Tom already owes eight- hundred dollars to Mr. Burgess, and is in need of even more supplies due to the devastating losses compiled by the flood. If debt continues to pile up, Tom will basically be a slave once again, working for no money, only in order to pay back his debt. On the other hand, if the family is to run from their debt, they will be arrested, and Tom will be put in jail. .

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             I think that Wright, an African American freedom advocate, is trying to share the struggles and concerns that a lot of African Americans faced during their struggle with civil rights. In the story a man has endured the freedom to start his own little farm, with livestock, his family, and ways to a make a means for himself. Tom has worked extremely hard in order to provide for his family and create a better life for them.